


Dining

by SealedAsBefore



Series: Life Lessons [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Food, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 20:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2885711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SealedAsBefore/pseuds/SealedAsBefore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cole, Varric, and Blackwall sit down to a meal. It doesn't go well. And then it does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dining

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part in a new series, the Life Lessons series. It'll be all about Cole's efforts to learn as much about being human as he can. A thousand thank yous to painquake for the series title, and the title of this part, as well as all the encouragement! You're the best!

Cole stared down at the plates spread over one of the bales of hay that Blackwall was calling a table. At least, Varric thought he was staring. It was hard to tell, with the hat. Blackwall had been determined to introduce Cole to the finer points of eating, ever since they’d found a way to push him more toward his human side. Cole was less enthusiastic, dubiously prodding at a small wedge of cheese, but seemed content to go along with it for now. And of course, Varric had to tag along. Whatever happened here, it was sure to be interesting. It was as good a way to kill time as any.

 

“Are you going to keep playing with it, or are you going to eat it, Kid?” Varric shifted on the hay bale he’d claimed, trying to ignore the way it poked him despite the worn blanket Blackwall had spread over it.

 

“I don’t know,” Cole said thoughtfully, tipping the cheese onto its side before moving on to lightly press on one of the strawberries the cook had dug up from who knew where. “The strawberry wouldn’t mind being eaten. It’s dead, now. It can’t mind anything.”

 

“You’re supposed to eat it, Cole. That’s what it’s there for,” Blackwall said, leaning forward. “Go on, give it a try. You might like it.”

 

The plates were laden with cheese, bread, and fruit, with two small dishes of honey and butter to go alongside. After Cole had remembered, in disturbing detail, the life and slaughter of the roasted hen they were planning to try him on, Varric had quietly snuck it away, and Blackwall had agreed that perhaps meat wouldn’t feature in Cole’s diet.

 

When Cole continued to test the resilience of strawberries, followed by grapes, a slice of apple, and a piece of bread, Varric decided to switch tactics. “Here, Kid. Try this instead.” He passed him a cup with a few swallows of wine, watered down and sweetened with honey. “Nice and easy. Try not to choke.”

 

Cradling the cup in both hands, Cole brought it to his lips. His face crumpled, and he set the cup aside, a trickle of red escaping the corner of his lips.

 

“No good?” Varric asked, helping himself to a strawberry.

 

“It tastes like summer smells,” Cole explained, looking at the cup. “But it feels like drowning in the rain.”

 

“You’ll get used to drinking,” Blackwall assured Cole, clapping a heavy hand to his shoulder. “More practice, that’s all you need.”

 

Cole looked up, eyes barely visible beneath dirty blond hair. “You want to make up for their deaths by showing me how to live, look, learn. The hurt in you is less when I try.”

 

Blackwall drew back, his face shuttering the way most people’s did when Cole dug too deep. Solas seemed to be the only one who could really stand it. “If you’re going to be a human lad, you can’t keep looking in people’s heads.”

 

Cole didn’t answer, hidden behind the floppy brim of his hat again. After a moment, he reached for his cup of wine. “I’ll try to learn.”

 

Later, when the sun was dipping below the mountains and Varric was spinning one of his best tales to a rapt audience of two, he wasn’t too busy to notice the little nibbles missing from the fruit, and Cole’s cup, sitting empty.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. If you like, feel free to leave a comment, let me know what Cole should try next! See you again!


End file.
